Pandemic has grave impact on mortality rate in France

The Coronavirus pandemic has had huge impact
on the mortality rate and life expectancy in France in 2021, new data by the statistics office — Insee — showed on Tuesday.

In 2020, around 658,000 people died in France, 7.3 per cent more than in 2019, Insee said.

The increase was especially significant among people over the age of 65, at 8.3 per cent higher mortality than in 2020.

Although the number of deaths has risen in recent years, this was in no proportion, Insee said.

Mortality was especially high during the first infection wave between March and May, and the second wave, from October, according to the figures.

This means the pandemic also impacted life expectancy, resulting in almost five months lower life expectancy for women and six months for men.

Life expectancy at birth in 2020 dropped to 85.2 years for women and 79.2 years for men, a more drastic decrease than during the year 2015,
when the winter flu was an important cause of death, according to Insee.

The statistics office also reported a 34 per cent decline in weddings in 2020 , as the Coronavirus led to many postponements of celebrations.

This was a historic decline, Insee said.

France with its 67 million inhabitants has been hit hard by the pandemic with more than 70,000 deaths from COVID-19.